TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY HOME

About This Project

Our client brief for this project was to design a replacement house that made the most of its enviable location overlooking Henley-on-Thames.

This site presented many challenges as it had a fairly limited width, large level changes across the plot and it was located in the Green Belt. The client also appreciated both contemporary and traditional forms of architecture and was uncertain when deciding the most suitable approach for the site. The Ascot Design team carefully considered all of these constraints and produced a solution that responded positively to the brief in every respect.

When considering the traditional and established character of the approach to the site and surrounding properties, our scheme has the appearance of a traditional rural design. Its balanced proportions and features such as natural stone, casement windows and a clay plain tile roof reinforce this.

Internally, the contemporary open layout plan is tailored to the family members and their individual needs. The house is highly energy efficient, constructed with a timber frame passive solution and includes the latest technology and services.

The rear of the property has a south westerly aspect and the superb elevated location gives far reaching views across Oxfordshire. It was therefore essential to include large glazed areas to all the living areas and bedrooms which would benefit from the view.

Although the site had the asset of the outstanding location, due to planning constraints the building had to be restricted in height which led us to a solution of a contemporary style property, with flat roofs, rendered panels and large sliding glass walls.

Finally, the contrasting approaches to design were fine-tuned and combined together, ensuring that the end result had integrity and belonged on its plot.